Busting Four Common Allergy Myths
Nearly everybody has allergies, and they seem to come with a whole crop of allergy myths, too. In this article, we'll take a look at a few common ones, and bust each with a quick shot of truth.
Most of us think we know a lot about allergies, but a good portion of the "facts" we know are, in fact, allergy myths. For example: about a third of us believe we have food allergies, but true food allergies are limited to about two percent of the population. The top culprits? Nuts, soy, dairy, fish, shellfish, wheat, and eggs.
The truth is, most food-related illnesses that we mistake for allergies are caused by food poisoning and other factors. Similarly, many of us have other beliefs about allergies that could benefit from the cold light of reality. So step right up with that myth: is it folklore, or is it science?
Myth 1: Allergic reactions are caused by an invasion of foreign organisms or chemicals.
It may seem so, but this is actually an allergy myth. It's not the substance you're allergic to that causes the reaction, at least not directly: it's your body's immune system. When you eat or touch something you're allergic to, your immune system swings into action -- against you.
It's a complex process, but what it boils down to is that your body is oversensitive to the substance you're allergic to. In response it produces histamine, an infection-fighting chemical that attacks your body cells instead, causing inflammation, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and a runny nose.
So it's not the substance itself that's poisonous, as the allergy myth would have it; it's your body's reaction to it that poisons you. That may seem a very fine distinction, but it explains why peanuts might be the death to you -- literally -- while they don't affect your friends at all.
Myth 2: You'll outgrow your childhood allergies.
Not necessarily. Some allergies go away by age five or so, especially allergies to eggs, milk, wheat, and soy, but some food allergies -- especially those related to nuts, seafood, and shellfish -- tend to be lifelong. So does hay fever, sadly, as well as many contact allergies like reactions to harsh detergents or poison ivy.
Myth 3: Most pollen allergies are caused by flowers.
This is a persistent allergy myth, but it's not true. While some people are in fact allergic to roses and other flower species, that's generally caused by the chemicals in the scent. In most cases, flower pollen is too large and sticky to cause traditional allergic reactions.
The real culprits are grasses, weeds, and trees (Bermuda grass, ragweed and red oak are especially bad). These plants release vast numbers of small, light pollen grains that are easily inhaled. Take a deep breath, and whammo -- your eyes and nose start to run.
Myth 4: You can cure an allergy by intentionally exposing yourself to the allergen.
It's true that some allergies can be eased by a carefully-controlled regimen of immunotherapy, which involves minor exposure to the allergen. However -- and this is important -- that's very unlikely to happen outside a doctor's office or lab. This is one of the things you really shouldn't try at home. This allergy myth can be dangerous, because the truth is that if you intentionally expose yourself to an allergen, oftentimes all you'll do is make your allergy worse.
